Time fuse



March 11 1924. 1,486,593

- 0. D. LUCAS TIME FUSE Filed Jan. is. 1923 Patented Mar. 11, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- OWEN DAVID LUCAS, OF BAYSWATER, LQNDON,ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO VICKERS LIMITED, OF WESTMINSTER, ENGLAND, A BRITISHCOMPANY.

TIME FUSE.

Application filed January 16, 1923; Serial No. 612,984.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OWEN DAVID LuoAs, a, subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing at 49 Linden Gardens, Bayswater, in the county ofLondon, England, have in-' vented certain new and useful Improvements inor Relating to Time Fuses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanically operated long time fuses, moreespecially for aerial bombs, flares and the like, but also adapted foruse in shells or other missiles.

According to this invention the large time range for the mechanicaloperation of the fuse is obtained by the aid of a toothed change speedgear between the initial operating device and the releasing. device forthe firing spring, a succession of steps of progressive speed reductionbeing given by changing the wheels in gear, in conjunction with meansfor setting the timing release mechanism independently of 'the changespeed gear. Associated in series with the aforesaid change speed gear itis also proposed to employ a reducing gear, which may be of epicyclictype, preferably connected to the initial operating device andtransmitting the movement to the change speedgear, so that a largereduction of speed may be obtained for along timing-period. In-theconstruction preferred the firing spring is normally unenergized and isenergized by the initial operation during flight of the same mechanicaldevice as finally efi'ects its release for firing urpo-ses, theenergizing be ing effected independently of the chan e speed reductiongear and the setting of -t e release mechanism, so that only arelatively short portion of the flight is utilized for cooking thespring and the timing extends. over a large range after cocking. When.

and a domed casing 11 screwed intothe upper end of the base. B is theoperating sp1ntooth at the bottom of the set and two, four,

eight or sizgteen teeth or a number consisting of a higher power of twoif required; These toothed rings 9 gear selectively with a pin1on Hwhich releases the firing mechan1sm through a, second epicyclic reducinggear comprising a toothed ring J. The toothed ring C encloses a screwedrod K,

the upper endk of which is left plain while the lower end passes into anut or tapped ring Z in the end of the firing spring casing L, which ispreferably in the form of a central tube secured to the lower end orbase a of the fuse body A in a gas-tight manner and enclosing, below thefiring spring D, the detonator pellet E held in place by balls e or likeretaining devices in recesses in the firing spring tube and maintainedin safety position by anexternal sleeve M operated by the transmissionring J torelease the balls after a predetermined range of movement ofthe gear. 1

The screwed rod K turns with the toothed sleeve G but is free to slidetherein sothat.

as the sleeve is turned the rod screws down through the nut or ring Zinthe firing spring tube L, the end of the rod K bearing upon a plug 70sliding in the said tube and compressing the spring D in front of it asit is moved down by the screwed rod. This oporation continues until theplain end is of the screwed rod reaches the end 9 of the. sleeve G whenthe screwed rod is freed and further rotation of the sleeve has noeffect on the rod, the spring D being fully cooked in' this position.The thrust of the spring is taken by the screwed rod K and the nut 6.

of the spring tube so that the gear is free from the thrust.

The spindle B carrying the vanes F, which spindle is locked normally bya safety pin 6 H, which is placed at the side, is mounted p which it isrequired finally to engage.

onthe sleeve h adapted to slide upon the spindle N and to rotate thespindle through a pin 01. and longitudinal slot 72 the pinion H beingfree to slide down from one toothed ring 9 to the next until it reachesthe single tooth and then past the tooth on to the plain ortion g of thetoothed sleeve G, which eaves the pinion free. One tooth of all therings 9 is continuous throughout the rings in order to allow for thesliding of the pinion when setting the gear according to the delayrequired, the pinion engaging first with thesingle tooth and thenpassing up in line with this tooth to the ring with The pinion H isturned one tooth at a time by each engaging tooth of the sleeve G.

The pinion driven spindle N carries at its lower end a small wheel 91gearing with the internally toothed rin J, the boss j of which isscrew-threaded an receives the screwed sleeve M that effects the releaseof the firing mechanism, this screwed sleeve sliding on the springcasing L without turning. When the sliding pinion H is freed from thetoothed'rings g, as already described, it can be turned so as to set thescrewed sleeve M to any required initial position, giving a larger orsmaller movement of the sleeve before the end asses the balls eretaining the detonator pe let E, the pellet being freed as soon as thescrewed sleeve M passes the recesses holding the balls, whereupon theenergized firing s ring D drives the pellet against the fixed ring pin EQr the pellet E and firing pin E may be reversed, the firing springacting upon the pin while the detonator is stationary.

A safety pin 0, which is removed prior to the release of the bomb orflare but referably after setting the fuse, is inserte between thepellet E and striker E so that both safety pins 0 and b ,(sleeve andvane spindle pins) remain in lace with the fuse set,'but the springuncoc ed.

The adjustments'both of the change speed gear and of the releasingmechanism is efected' from outside the fuse through the aperture a intheside'of the casing a as shown more clearly in Figure 3, a coveringring a being provided for the aperture. At

one side of the aperture an indlcating scale a is marked to show whichtoothed ring 9 is in engagement with the pinion H. As already describedthe pinion can be moved up or down the set of toothed rings and to sothat the pinion H is held in engagement with any predetermined ring,giving the required gear ratio. Catches for the member P are indicatedat p in Figure 2. When the member P is lowered to the bottom grooves pthe pinion H is below the lowest or single toothed ring 9 and the pinioncan then be turned by hand, turning the toothed rin J through the pinion11. until the sleeve M is raised or lowered to the required positionaccording to the timing of the fuse.

interval for firing is changed in the same proportions but as the timingdepends also upon the initialsetting of the sleeve M and its consequentrange of movement up to the firing position any time interval isprovided for between the setting of the firing spring and themaximumrange for full movement of the sleeve M with the singletoothed ring 9 ingear with the pinion H, that is, with the change speed gear giving itsmaximum reduclng speed ratio.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesis 1. In a mechanicall operated longtime fuse, a firing spring, mitialfuse operating mechanism, a spring release device, a toothed changespeed ear between the initial operating mechanism and the spring releasedevice, means for changing the wheels in gear to give any one of-iasuccession of progressive speed reductions grovided by the said changespeed gear an means for timing the release device independently of thesaid change speed gear.

2. In a fuse as claimed in claim 1, a further speed reducing gearassociated in series with the said change speed gear.

3. In a fuse as claimed 1n claim 1, an epicyclic speed reducing gearassociated in series ,with the said change speed gear.

4.- In a fuse as claimed in claim 1, a further speedrediicing gearinterposed between g the initial operatmgmechanism and the 1 ducing gearbetween the initial operatingsaid change speed gear.

.. 5. In a mechanicall o erated'long time fuse, a firing spring, initialfuse operating mechanism, a. spring release device, arethe springrelease device whereby the fur- Y in gear inter ther movement of theinitial operating mechanism, after a substantial time interval due tothe speed reduction, effects the release of the spring.

' 6; In a fuse asin claim 1, a speed reducsed between the initialoperating mechamsm and the said change speed gear, means whereby thesaid reducing gear effects the energizing of the firing sprin and meanswhereby the reducing gear, an the change speed gear combined eifect theoperation of the spring release device.

7. In a fuse as claimed in claim 1, a reducing gear, interposed betweenthe initial operating mechamsm and the said energizing member connecteddetac ably to the said reducing gear and means whereby the said screwedenergizing member is released from the reducing gear after aredetermined range of movement.

8..In a m'echanicall 0 rated long .time fuse, a firing spring, initialfuse operatiig mechanism, a spring release device, a tooth change speedgear, a screw threaded firing s ringchange speed gear between theinitial operating mechamsm and the spring release device, which changespeed ear comprises a rotatable spindle, a series 0 toothed rings on thesaid spindle, the number of teeth on an one of the second and succeedingrings being twice the number on the preceding rings, and a slidingpinion adapted to be slidden into and means driven through the saidchange speed gear whereby the release device is operated.

9; In a fuse as claimed in claim 8, a screwed rod effecting theenergizing of the firing spring, which rod is driven through theaforesaid ring carrying spindle.

10. In a mechanically operated time fuse, a firing spring, initial fuseoperating mechanism, an adjustable screwed timing sleeve adapted to holdthe said spring in cocked ar with any desired ring,

position, a speed reducing gear between the -initial operating mechanismand the said sleeve and screwed connectin means between the gear andsleeve where y the sleeve is moved into spring releasing position aftera predetermined movement.

11. In a mechanically operated time fuse, a firing sprin initial fuseoperating mechanism, and a justable screwed timing sleeve adapted tohold the said spring in cocked posltion, a change speed reducing gear,a. inion terminating the said gear and an internally toothed ringmeshing with the said pinion and having a screw engagement with the saidscrewed timing sleeve,

' OWEN DAVID LUCAS.

